Wheeled toy

ABSTRACT

THIS IS A TOY VEHICLE THAT HAS A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED PLATFORM THAT MAY SUPPORT A TOY FIGURE OR DOLL. THE TOY INCLUDES TRACTION WHEELS CONNECTED TO AN AXLE HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED CRANK PORTIONS THAT ALTERNATELY MOVE DIFFERENT ONES OF TWO DEPENDING MEMBERS ATTACHED TO THE PLATFORM TO CAUSE THE PLATFORM AND ANY DOLL THAT IT SUPPORTS TO TURN FROM SIDE TO SIDE AS THE VEHICLE IS MOVED OVER A SURFACE.

Mai-c112, 1971 v DUNN EI'AL 7 3,566,533

WHEELED TOY Fild Jan. 2;, 1969 KIQW maxil 4! Y RAL PH 0 uNN Anmwoq R VIYLLASANAY STEPHEN W PIl/Rkmfl TOPNE' Y VINVENTORQSQ United States Patent O 3,566,533 WHEELED TOY Ralph Dunn, Manhattan Beach, Armando P. Villasana, Los Angeles, and Stephen W. Piurkowsky, Torrance, Califi, assignors to Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif. Filed Jan. 23, 1969, Ser. No. 793,251 Int. Cl. A6311 11/10 US. Cl. 46107 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This is a toy vehicle that has a pivotally mounted platform that may support a toy figure or doll. The toy includes traction wheels connected to an axle having a pair of oppositely disposed crank portions that alternately move different ones of two depending members attached to the platform to cause the platform and any doll that it supports to turn from side to side as the vehicle is moved over a surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts.

Field of the invention The present invention pertains generally to the field of wheeled toys and more particularly to a doll carrying toy vehicle that utilizes a novel oscillating mechanism to rotate the doll from side to side as the toy is moved along a surface.

Description of the prior art Wheeled toys that provide some type of movement or sound or a combination of these effects are well known in the art. Generally, these toys provide either a gear arrangement mechanically coupled to one or more traction wheels, or the axle that supports those traction wheels in cludes crank portions that are coupled by linkages to portions of the toy to be moved or otherwise operated.

In either of these two cases, rather costly and complicated arrangements must be employed, such as gears and linkages with multiple pivotal connections. This is a serious disadvantage because it is well known in the toy industry that due to the great volume involved, the saving of the cost of even one small part can make a great deal in such a highly competitive market. Also, it is another well known fact that the fewer parts, the less chance of breakdown and the better reputation a manufacturer of toys will acquire in the sale of its products.

It therefore should be quite obvious that a wheeled toy that is simple to construct and has relatively few working parts that are economical to produce will have the advantage of providing a less costly and thus more competitive and reliable toy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing disadvantageous characteristics of the prior art, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wheeled toy that is not subject to these disadvantages and having a very simple and novel mechanism to cause reciprocal movement in a pivoted platform capable of supporting a toy figure or doll.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheeled toy that includes a reciprocating doll platform and a means for holding a toy figure or doll securely on the platform and beneath a transparent enclosure.

According to the present invention having a body frame carried by traction wheels, a rotatable platform is pivotally mounted on the frame above an axle driven 3,566,533 Patented Mar. 2, 1971 ice by the traction wheels, the axle having two oppositely disposed offset crank portions. The platform is disposed approximately intermediate the crank portions of the axle and also includes a pair of spaced depending members that extend from the platform through apertures in the frame to positions adjacent the axle and different ones of the crank portions. The depending members are thus alternately moved by associated ones of the crank portions to cause reciprocal motion of the platform when the traction wheels are rotated.

These features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheeled toy constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the toy shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line 22;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the toy taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the action elements incorporated in the toy seen in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 illustrates more descriptively the relationship between the two depending members attached to the pivoted platform and the offset crank portions of the rotating axle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring again to the drawing and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 and 3, there is generally shown a wheeled toy having a body frame 11 carried by traction wheels 13 and comprising an axle 15 having two oppositely disposed offset crank portions 17 and 19 and driven by the traction wheels 13. A rotatable platform 21 is pivotally mounted on the frame 11 above the axle 15 approximately intermediate the crank portions 17 and 19. Pinaly, a pair of spaced depending members 23 and 25 are attached to the platform 21 and extend through apertures 27 and 29 in the frame 11 to positions adjacent the axle 15 and different ones of the crank portions 17 and 19 so that the depending members 23 and 25 are alternately moved by the associated crank portions 17 and 19 to cause reciprocal motion as indicated by arrows 31 of the platform 21 when the traction wheels 13 are rotated as shown by arrows 33.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the toy may be in the form of a space ship 41 with a saucer-like lower body section 43 having a protruding elongated nose section 45 and a rearward extending simulated propulsion package 47. Mounted on top of the lower body section 43 is a detachable transparent canopy 49 having a hinge arrangement 51 at the back and a forward extending lip 53 that is adapted to engage a notched retaining member 55 rising upwardly from the lower body section 43. Within the canopy 49 may be removably placed a toy figure or doll such as a space creature or doll 57 that stands in a ring section 59 attached to the platform 21.

In order to securely hold the doll 57 in the desired position shown, appropriately fashioned resilient back support arms 61 may be mounted on the ring section 59 directly or on a back support member 63. An X-like member 65 may also be mounted generally coaxially with respect to the ring member 59 to give better footing support as the doll 57 is moved from side to side with the platform 21.

The frame 11, as shown in FIG. 2, is supported in the body section 43 of the toy ship 41 by an internal annular lip 67 which also supports two pairs of axle support members 69 and 71 as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The frame 11 and the axle support members 69 and 71 may be attached to the body section by any conventional means such as spot welding, for example.

The function of the various elements of the subject toy in operation will be best understood by viewing FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. As the toy space ship 41 is moved along a suitable surface such as a floor, the traction wheels 13 are caused to rotate as indicated by the arrows 33. This rotation, in turn, causes the axle 15, to which the wheels 13 are attached, to rotate. By doing so, first one and then the other offset crank portion will strike different ones of the depending members 23 and 25. For example, as the crank portion 19 rotates, it comes into contact with depending member 25 and moves it in the direction 73 as shown in FIG. 5.

At the same time, the crank portion 17 is rotating away from the associated depending arm 23, allowing it to move in the direction opposite to arrow 73 due to the pivoting of the platform 21 about a pivot pin 75 attached by suitable means to the frame 11 and extending upwardly through a centrally located aperture 77 in the platform 21. Of course, the two slots 27 and 29 are provided with suitable shapes so that the depending members 23 and 25 will have unobstructed travel in their to-and-from motion, and the platform 21 is rotatably held at its periphery by inwardly extending lip portions 79 as seen in FIG. 3.

Once the crank portion 19 has pushed its associated depending member 25 as far as is possible, it then proceeds in the other direction just as the other crank portion 17 starts to push the depending member 23. This alternating force arrangement will continue so long as the traction wheels 13 are rotated.

The materials used in the fabrication of this toy are not considered critical and any material generally known to be suitable for a particular use may be utilized. For example, the axle and the depending members 23 and may be formed from such materials as iron or steel, while the canopy 49, the doll 57, the wheels 13 and various other decorative members may be of a suitable plastic.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the invention provides a new and useful wheeled toy vehicle not subject to the disadvantages of the prior art and which employs a simple, yet unique, reciprocating motion arrangement driven by its traction wheels.

Although a specific embodiment of this invention is described herein in detail, other organizations of the embodiment may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, in the embodiment shown, the doll 57 is removable from the vehicle 41 by unfastening the lip portion 53 from the notched retaining member 55 p and lifting the canopy 49 that pivots about the hinge arrangement 51. In another embodiment of the invention (not shown), the doll may be permanently aifixed to the platform 21.

Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing disclosure and drawing shall be considered only as illustrative of the principles of this invention and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of this invention is to be defined solely by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wheeled toy having a body frame carried by traction wheels, comprising:

an axle having two oppositely disposed offset crank portions and driven by said traction wheels;

a rotatable platform pivotally mounted on said frame above said axle approximately intermediate said crank portions; and

a pair of spaced depending members attached to said platform and extending through apertures in said frame to positions adjacent said axle, one of said depending members lying in the path of travel of one of said crank portions and the other depending member lying in the path of travel of the other of said crank portions so that said depending members are alternately moved by associated crank portions to cause reciprocal motion of said platform when said traction wheels are rotated.

2. A wheeled toy according to claim 1, wherein said rotatable platform carries a doll supporting arrangement capable of holding a doll firmly to said platform while said platform pivots reciprocally with the rotation of said traction wheels.

3. A wheeled toy according to claim 2, wherein said body frame is attached to a body section which includes a hinged transparent canopy adapted to enclose said doll.

4. A wheeled toy according to claim 2, wherein said doll supporting arrangement includes an annular ring section disposed on said platform coaxially with respect to the axis of rotation of said platform, said ring section carrying a back support member and resilient doll holding arms.

5'. A wheeled toy according to claim 4, wherein said doll supporting arrangement further includes an X-shaped member disposed centrally in said ring section to support the feet of said doll as said doll and platform are subjected to the reciprocal motion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1922 Hoffmann 46-107 6/1924 Sneed 46-107 

